4 minute read
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3 NIV)
God binds your wounds.
People operate from their pain. Every person you interact with today is in pain of some sort. They are doing the best they can to live despite the suffering. To live life to the fullest, you have to give your pain to God. When you hand Him your broken heart, with love, He binds it.
The problem is, we don’t want to give God our pain, not really. We prefer hanging on to the suffering because we know it, we understand it. Whatever our pain is, it becomes comfortable to us. Handing the misery to God means stepping out of what you know into the unknown.
When I started working on my Masters’s degree, it was unknown to me. I was operating out of the pain I felt from the situation that led me back to school. Hitting the books was not something I had ever considered doing. In no way, shape, or form did I ever think I would receive a graduate degree. However, as of Dec. 16th, 2020, I am an official graduate from Regent University with a Masters of Arts in Strategic Communication. Why? Because I gave God my pain.
Process pain with God.
The first step a Christ-follower should take when processing pain is seeking God. Whatever the feelings and emotions, give them to Him. Yell, scream, tell everything to God. As you release the anger, you begin to gain perspective. Just the act of turning your thoughts to God changes your focus. When you give your emotions to God instead of a person, you don’t cause more harm. Confiding in someone who isn’t trustworthy only causes more problems. God won’t share your secrets; people will. Human nature is challenging for any of us to overcome without God’s intervention.
Instead of focusing on the hurt, place your focus on God. Whatever the situation you’re experiencing, God allowed it into your life—understanding why isn’t a necessity. God is clear; His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8 NIV). God is sovereign; we’re not. If God allowed a circumstance in your life, then He has a plan for it. The only way we can find the script He has for us is if we seek Him.
In my pain, I sought God through His word. I dove into the Scriptures, expectantly waiting for God to move. He did move, not at all the way I expected. The more I seek Him, the more His plan reveals itself in my life. Each day is a new adventure.
Lay your pain at God’s feet. Allow Him to heal your broken heart in His time and way. Get comfortable living in the uncomfortable.
Question of the Day:
What hurt do you need to give God today?
Further Reading: Zechariah 12:1-13:9 NIV, Revelation 19 NIV, Psalm 147:1-20 NIV, Proverbs 31:1-7 NIV
